The High Court in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, has dismissed an application by a faction of the Mphephu-Ramabulana royal family to recognise Mavhungu Mphephu as the regent of Vhavenda kinship.
The faction of the royal family which supported the dethroned Toni Mphephu Ramabulana as king, wanted Mavungu Mphephu to be the acting king. The Limpopo government was cited as the respondent.
The throne became vacant after princess Masindi Mphephu successfully challenged her uncle Toni Mphephu-Ramabulana in the Constitutional Court. Their spokesperson Ntsieni Ramabulana says they are still studying the judgment.
Spokesperson Ntsieni Ramaphulana says, “We noted the judgment, and we are obviously very disappointed by the outcome of that judgment we are going to sit down with our lawyer and see the way forward. There are many possible routes that one can take for an appeal to become and obvious one there is also an opportunity for us to even ask the Constitutional Court to clear some of the issues that were cited there in dismissal from the judge, but this is the issue that we will sit down as family we will sit down with our lawyers and then we find the way forward.”
Meanwhile, the advisor to the Masindi Mphephu Foundation, Ntsie Netshitomboni, says they welcome the High Court judgment. ”This case is just one of the few battles that we have to fight if you win a small battle you will eventually win the war we are quite pleased with the judgment.”
